Iain Darbyshire

Societal Impact Statement: Wild edible fruits (WEFs) are an important but underutilised resource for improving food security in sub‐Saharan Africa. In Mozambique, many rural communities rely on these fruits to supplement diets, generate income and cope with periods of food scarcity; yet national‐level knowledge of their diversity has been lacking. This study provides the first comprehensive inventory of WEFs in Mozambique and identifies species and regions of the highest socio‐economic and ecological importance. By highlighting priority taxa and biodiversity hotspots, our findings support evidence‐based conservation, sustainable harvesting and added‐value use of indigenous fruits, with implications for policy, rural development and resilient food systems. Summary: This study aimed to document and assess the diversity, distribution and importance of wild edible fruits (WEFs) in Mozambique, addressing a major knowledge gap in one of Africa's most diverse yet under‐documented countries. WEFs play a key role in nutrition, livelihoods and ecosystem conservation but remain largely overlooked in national food systems. We compiled data from more than 30 years of field surveys, herbarium records, published literature and online databases to produce the first national inventory of Mozambican WEFs. We analysed growth forms, modes of consumption, eco‐geographical distribution and conservation status and developed a Weighted Importance Index (WII) integrating socio‐economic, cultural and ecological attributes. We documented 282 WEF taxa, with Fabaceae, Rubiaceae and Malvaceae as the most represented families. Areas of the highest diversity occur in the Southern Swahili coastal forest and woodlands. High‐importance taxa include Garcinia livingstonei , Sclerocarya birrea subsp. afra , Strychnos spinosa , Trichilia emetica , Vangueria infausta and Ximenia afra . Our findings provide a baseline for identifying indigenous fruit diversity, priority taxa and areas requiring further ecological, ethnobotanical and socio‐economic investigation.

Summary: Campylospermum zanaganum Cranham & I.M.Turner (Ochnaceae), from mid-elevation evergreen forest near Zanaga, in the Lékoumou Department of the Republic of the Congo, is described and illustrated. Specimens of this species were previously identified as C. descoingsii Farron, with which it shares some morphological similarities, most notably the slender leaves with impressed lateral venation resulting in a distinctly bullate adaxial surface, but it differs from C. descoingsii in embryology, stature, leaf size and inflorescence form. Notes on the ecology and extinction risk of C. zanaganum are provided: it is considered to be Endangered under IUCN criterion B1 and B2 because of its extremely limited range. Although there are limited current threats, the proposed iron ore mining project in the area could pose a plausible and more severe threat in the future.

Societal Impact Statement: As of 2026, fewer than 23% of vascular plants have International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments, despite accelerating threats to biodiversity. Predictive models of extinction risk complement assessments and help prioritize conservation action but face a trade‐off between data resolution and species coverage. Using Ethiopian endemic flowering plants, we found that medium‐scale spatial data—similar to provinces or counties—strike a balance between resolution and coverage, improving predictive performance. Because these data can be obtained from multiple sources, including textual records, our approach can be implemented in future prediction models, helping experts direct limited resources toward species most at risk. Summary: Extinction risk predictions complement conservation assessments but are limited by available data, creating a trade‐off between resolution and taxonomic completeness. Fine‐scale predictors offer greater resolution but exclude data‐limited species, whereas coarse‐scale predictors maximize species coverage but lack resolution—especially at smaller scales. Recent comprehensive extinction risk assessment of Ethiopia's endemic angiosperms provides an opportunity to investigate the robustness of extinction risk predictions and identify patterns or systematic biases at a national scale. Here, we interrogate the performance of coarse‐scale predictions from Bachman et al. (2024) for Ethiopian endemics, using patterns in misclassifications to identify additional (protected area) and refined (geographic range size and human footprint) predictors that could improve future models. We found that number of floristic regions (similar in scale to provinces) significantly outperformed point‐based range size metrics (extent of occurrence and area of occupancy), and that recalculating human footprint at floristic region‐scale improved predictive performance. Protected area coverage did not improve model performance. While coordinates can be impossible to pinpoint for many records, administrative units can be obtained from textual data, unlocking more possibilities for georeferencing. By leveraging medium‐scale predictors, our approach balances resolution and taxonomic completeness, offering a scalable path to substantially improve global extinction risk predictions.

Summary: Barleria is a species-rich genus of Acanthaceae (Acanthoideae: Barlerieae: Barleriinae) with a predominantly palaeotropical distribution centred on eastern and southern Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Madagascar; only one species extends to the neotropics. A revised infrageneric classification of the genus is presented based on a combination of molecular phylogenetic studies using ddRADseq and plastid data, and analysis of taxonomically informative morphological traits. Two subgenera are upheld, subg. Barleria and subg. Prionitis . Within subg. Barleria , nine sections are recognised, supported by a multi-correspondence analysis of morphological traits across all species within the subgenus. In subg. Prionitis , three sections are maintained, two of which are further subdivided into six subsections. A diagnostic key to the subgenera, sections and subsections is presented to aid with identification. Whilst homoplasy is frequent across many morphological traits within Barleria , most species are readily placed within the classification by their combinations of traits. Lectotypes are provided for the generic synonyms Barleriacanthus Oerst., Barleriopsis Oerst., Barlerites Oerst. and Pseudobarleria Oerst. A revised checklist of Barleria recognises 307 species (346 taxa including subspecies and varieties) globally. All are placed at least to subgenus with the exception of the enigmatic B. conspicua Nees from Malaysia. Three species of subg. Barleria are not placed to section, whilst the remainder of the species are placed within a section or, where appropriate, a subsection, based on either combined molecular and morphological data or on morphological data alone. Species richness within the infrageneric taxa varies from one to 57 species, hence no one infrageneric taxon contains more than 20% of the total species richness in Barleria . 236 species (77%) of Barleria have an available extinction risk assessment, of which 42% are considered to be threatened globally, highlighting urgent conservation needs within the genus. This revised classification serves as the framework for future monographic work in Barleria .

Aim: Effective implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework and Global Strategy for Plant Conservation relies on accurate species distribution data. However, current vascular plant distribution data are often sparse and biased, requiring significant expansion. This study develops a scalable framework to prioritize areas for plant occurrence data acquisition, enabling botanical institutions to coordinate efforts and allocate resources efficiently. Location: Global and regional. Methods: Using a Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) analysis, we prioritized areas based on: (a) ecosystem service value; (b) floristic value threatened by climate or land‐use change; and (c) uncertainty in species richness estimates. Analyses were stratified into tree‐dominated and grassland/deforested biomes. Prioritization maps were generated globally and for five major regions, then validated by field experts to ensure ecological relevance. Results: The data‐driven priority maps achieved high consensus among field experts, and high similarity between global and regional outputs demonstrated the model's scalability. By explicitly modelling sampling bias rather than relying on raw occurrence data, our framework successfully identified globally critical but historically overlooked areas for future data acquisition, such as Amazonia, the Putorana Plateau and Canada's Hudson Plain. Main Conclusions: Our approach provides a transparent, adaptable tool for supporting national implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework. A key advantage of this framework is its capacity to systematically translate expert opinion into explicit, quantitative criteria, which facilitates clear communication with policymakers and funders. By prioritizing data acquisition through tailored variables and weightings, this research promotes the efficient use of limited resources to address global biodiversity knowledge gaps.

Summary: Four new species of Barleria are described from southern Africa: B. klaseriensis I.Darbysh. & K.Balkwill from sect. Somalia , and B. schijffii I.Darbysh. & Froneman, B. krugerensis I.Darbysh. & Froneman, and B. locusmetallorum I.Darbysh. & Froneman from sect. Prionitis . Based on current knowledge, all these species are restricted to northeastern South Africa with the exception of B. schijffii which extends into southwestern Mozambique. The affinities of each species are discussed, their habitat requirements documented and their conservation status (extinction risk) is assessed. Barleria klaseriensis and B. locusmetallorum are considered to be Endangered, whilst B. schijffii and B. krugerensis are assessed as of Least Concern, although the lattermost species qualifies under the Rare category of South Africa’s national Red List. In addition, B. holubii C.B.Clarke subsp. ugandensis I.Darbysh. is elevated to species rank, and identification keys and tables of comparison are provided for the B. coriacea Oberm. and B. holubii complexes in Africa.

The new species Barleria kulalensis I.Darbysh. & Q.Luke and Dicliptera huriensis I.Darbysh. & Q.Luke are described and illustrated and their extinction risk is assessed provisionally. The former is based on Barleria sp. G of the Flora of Tropical East Africa (FTEA), with recent field observation and collection of this species from the foothills of Mount Kulal confirming its status as distinct from the widespread East African species Barleria linearifolia . The latter is known only from the type collection made in 2010, after FTEA was completed; it is considered most likely to be related to Dicliptera minutifolia from southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya but clearly differs from that species in a number of vegetative and floral characters. Barleria kulalensis is assessed as ‘Vulnerable' whilst D. huriensis is currently considered to be ‘Data Deficient'. This paper highlights the high likelihood of continued discovery of new species of Acanthaceae to science in under‐botanised areas of northern Kenya.

L'état et la diversité de la sous-tribu Monotheciinae (Acanthaceae, Acanthoideae, Justicieae) à Madagascar sont investigués grâce à des études macro- et micro- (pollen) morphologiques. Plusieurs espèces précédemment classées à titre provisoire dans les genres Isoglossa Oerst. (Isoglossinae) ou Justicia L. (Justiciinae) se révèlent mieux classées dans le genre asiatique Ptyssiglottis T.Anderson sur la base de sa circonscription actuelle. Cela constitue donc la première mention de ce genre en Afrique et à Madagascar. Parmi celles-ci figurent quatre espèces nouvelles pour la science: Ptyssiglottis antongilensis I.Darbysh., P. gracillima I.Darbysh. & L.Rapp, P. ranomafanensis I.Darbysh. et P. tsingycola I.Darbysh. & Callm. Justicia plebeia Benoist est également transférée à Ptyssiglottis sous la nouvelle combinaison P. plebeia (Benoist) I.Darbysh. & Callm. Un deuxième genre des Monotheciinae, Ambongia Benoist, s'avère être monospécifique, avec A. perrieri Benoist provenant du nord et du nord-ouest de Madagascar. Monothecium leucopterum Benoist est rejeté de la sous-tribu, car des preuves moléculaires démontrent que cette espèce appartient au clade «Anisostachya» au sein des Justiciinae. Par conséquent, nous reconnaissons actuellement six espèces de Monotheciinae à Madagascar, toutes endémiques de l'île. Received: 22 December 2025; Accepted: 27 March 2026; First published online: 17 June 2026

Summary: The new species Cyathula guineensis (Amaranthaceae), from Faranah and Kankan Regions of northern and central Guinea, is described and illustrated. This new species is assessed as globally Endangered, as it faces a range of threats at its two known locations and is estimated to have a small global population size, with fewer than 250 mature individuals within each of its two known sub-populations. Its taxonomic affinities are discussed, in particular with regard to the sympatric Cyathula pobeguinii Jacq.-Fél. and with C. mollis C.C.Towns. from the Central African Republic, both of which share with the new species modified sterile flowers that are not hooked or spiny, these instead are tepal-like or bracteolate. The generic placement of these species is discussed in light of recent molecular phylogenetic evidence that resolves Cyathula as being polyphyletic within the “achyranthoid” clade of Amaranthaceae and which has resulted in a proposal to modify and expand the circumscription of the genus. Finally, the role of the modified, sterile flowers in aiding epizoochory in Cyathula guineensis is discussed.

Threats including habitat loss and overexploitation continue to endanger plant diversity in Uganda. Heightened effort is needed to more effectively protect threatened species to ensure ecosystem service provision and support of livelihoods. One important step in this direction is to identify areas locally rich in biodiversity in general, and endemism in particular, where conservation efforts may most effectively contribute to protecting global biodiversity. We analysed data on the distribution of 4,816 known species of native vascular plants of Uganda to identify the endemic and near-endemic plant taxa. Distribution data were obtained from herbarium records and online resources and more than 5,000 occurrence points of priority plant taxa in Uganda collated in a BRAHMS database. A total of 184 endemic and near-endemic taxa of vascular plants are identified and documented, of which 52 are strict-endemic and 82 are near-endemic species, with a further 15 strict-endemic and 35 near-endemic infraspecific taxa. These together represent 3.8% of the known vascular flora of Uganda, with families including Asparagaceae, Asphodelaceae and Asteraceae contributing significantly to the endemic flora. These endemics cover a wide range of growth forms, but the majority (60%) are herbaceous whilst tree taxa contribute less than 15% of the total endemic flora. Significant spatial variation in the richness of endemic species is observed. The regions with the highest endemism are the montane areas of the Albertine Rift and of Eastern Uganda. However, as botanical inventories extend to understudied areas, we might expect that species new to science continue to be described. More than 90% of the endemic flora of Uganda has been assessed for its extinction risk, of which 58% are currently assessed as threatened (VU, EN, or CR on the IUCN Red List). The results of this study highlight the significant risk faced by plants unique to Uganda and have helped to inform the identification of Important Plant Areas as a key step towards spatial conservation prioritisation for Uganda’s critical plant diversity and the ecosystem services it supports.